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These oven-baked, snack-size bison sliders pack a punch with their delicious fillings, condiments and buttery topping.

Bison sliders in casserole dish with shredded cheese on the side.

If you’re in charge of feeding a crowd this Canada Day, this exotic Canadian meat dish will fit right into the menu. Unlike other meatball sliders that are pan fried, these ones are baked, taking away some active time to enjoy these tiny sandwiches and adding more time for guests.

Ingredients

Bison slider ingredients prepped on marble background.

For the Sliders:

  • ground bison
  • fresh garlic
  • blue cheese – pre-crumbled or you can crumble your own
  • red onion
  • pickled jalapeños
  • eggs
  • salt and pepper
  • slider buns – brioche, whole wheat or sesame seed
  • mozzarella cheese

For the Sauce:

Butter Topping:

  • butter
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • poppy seeds
  • onion powder
  • sugar

You can actually find wild horseradish in the same areas that the bison roam. You can also grow your own and use the root to make prepared horseradish. However, store-bought is what we used for this recipe.

Bison sliders prepped in casserole dish.

How to Bake Bison Sliders

This recipe makes 12 sliders which is perfect for the whole family to enjoy or to serve at a dinner party or gathering!

Bison sliders prepped in casserole dish with pastry brush.
  1. Preheat. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
  2. Make the meatballs. In a large bowl combine the ground bison, garlic, blue cheese, onions, jalapeños, egg, salt and pepper. Roll the mixture into 12 meatballs and place them on a baking sheet.
  3. Bake the meatballs. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
  4. Make the sauce. Meanwhile, mix all of the sauce ingredients together and reserve.
  5. Slice the buns. Slice the slider buns in half. Place the bottom half in a 9” x 13” baking dish.
  6. Assemble. Spoon a little sauce on each bun. Top with a meatball and another spoonful of sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top.
  7. Bake. Combine the butter topping ingredients together. Place the remaining half of the buns on top of the meatballs and lightly brush them with the butter topping. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until golden and the cheese is melted.
  8. Serve. Let cool for a few minutes and serve!

A Little Bit About Sliders

Where do sliders come from? It all started with White Castle, a chain that started in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas by Walter A. Anderson and Edgar Waldo “Billy” Ingram. Anderson and Ingram sold their burgers in their white castle restaurant and used promotional ads offering five takeout burgers for 10 cents.

As for the name “sliders”, one theory is they were the original name for a hamburger in the 1940s or 1950s. Cheeseburgers were called “sliders with a lid”. They were called “sliders” because they were so greasy that they slid on the bun easily. Now, these bison sliders are not as greasy, especially since they are made with bison, but their miniature size will make it easy for them to slide into your mouth.

Make-Ahead Preparations

  • The sauce and butter topping can be prepared a day or two ahead of time.
  • For the topping, just re-melt it before brushing it onto the sliders.
  • Store the slider buns in the freezer and pull them out on the day of serving to thaw so that they stay fresh.
  • The meatballs can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator, up to one day in advance, before baking.

What to Serve With These Sliders

Baked bison slider on plate.

With all the spicy ingredients, I recommend a cool, sweet drink to pair with these sliders. One of the classic pairings of burgers are milkshakes. If you want a healthier option, I recommend a virgin daiquiri or fruit smoothie.

Smoothies are healthier than milkshakes, they have a similar texture, and they have enough chilled, creamy sweetness to help cool your tastebuds from the horseradish and jalapeños. As for which fruit to use, strawberry is a classic but you can also go with our mango-pineapple smoothie.

Everyone knows fries go with burgers like peanut butter and jelly, but if you want to try different sides, potato salad is a great option. It still has potatoes, it is cooling, but has that extra pucker of vinegar that pairs well with the sliders. You can also enjoy some potato chips, a simple green salad or grilled fruit.

After all of that talk about spice, I think it’s important to note that these weren’t too spicy for my kids to enjoy. They were whole family friendly.

Bison sliders in casserole dish.

These sliders are absolute flavor bombs. I hope you enjoy these bison sliders as much as my family and I do! For what occasion did you prepare them? Let me know in the comments and please share the recipe.

Bison sliders in casserole dish with shredded cheese on the side.

Baked Bison Sliders

Joss Dyckson
These oven-baked, snack-size bison sliders pack a punch with their delicious fillings, condiments and buttery topping.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American, Canadian
Servings 12 sliders
Calories 444 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the Sliders:

  • 1 ½ pounds ground bison
  • 2 teaspoons garlic - minced
  • ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
  • ¼ cup red onion - diced
  • 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños - diced
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 12 slider buns - brioche, sesame, whole wheat
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese - shredded

For the Sauce:

Butter Topping:

  • 2 tablespoons butter - melted
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon poppy seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350˚F.
  • In a large bowl combine the ground bison, garlic, blue cheese, onions, jalapeños, egg, salt and pepper. Roll the mixture into 12 meatballs and place them on a baking sheet.
  • Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
  • Meanwhile, mix all of the sauce ingredients together and reserve.
  • Slice the slider buns in half. Place the bottom half in a 9” x 13” baking dish.
  • Spoon a little sauce on each bun. Top with a meatball and another spoonful of sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top.
  • Combine the butter topping ingredients together. Place the remaining half of the buns on top of the meatballs and lightly brush them with the butter topping. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until golden and the cheese is melted.
  • Let cool for a few minutes and serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 19gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 592mgPotassium: 232mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 291IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.

Keyword bison, ground bison
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